Breaking News: U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan has ruled that Donald Trump is not immune from prosecution in his election interference case in Washington, rejecting the Republican’s bid to derail the case charging him with plotting to overturn the 2020 presidential election won by Joe Biden.
Chutkan’s decision is a sharp rejection to the legal challenges raised by Trump’s defense team to the four-count indictment. This trial is expected to focus on the Republican’s efforts to undo the election won by Biden.
The judge turned down Trump’s expansive view of presidential power, but this ruling might not be the final say in the legal fight. Trump’s legal team is expected to quickly appeal the decision as they argue the case violates his free speech rights.
Chutkan made it clear that the First Amendment does not protect speech that is used as an instrument of a crime, while also emphasizing that the office of the president does not confer a lifelong ‘get-out-of-jail-free’ pass.
This ruling comes on the same day the federal appeals court in Washington allowed lawsuits against Trump for inciting the U.S. Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, to move forward, rejecting Trump’s claims of presidential immunity.
Overall, this is one of four criminal cases Trump is facing while he seeks to reclaim the White House in 2024. Despite these ongoing legal battles, Smith’s team has emphasized that Trump is not above the law and is subject to federal criminal laws like any other citizen.
Stay tuned as these legal proceedings continue to unfold.
